# Have you ever been underwhelmed? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 25, 2024, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-underwhelmed/1010764 "2024-11-25T16:43:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-underwhelmed/1010764/121 "2024-11-27T01:37:41Z")
Fenway Park is a dump. It is not by any rational analysis one of the 20 best major league parks I’ve been to. I’ve been to 24. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-underwhelmed/1010764/122 "2024-11-27T01:39:05Z")
ETA: @Ellecram two posts up … You want local underwhelming cuisine, try this on for size. By far the best part is the dry detachment the wiki authors manage to maintain as they describe the horror within. > **[St. Paul sandwich](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Paul_sandwich)** > > The St. Paul sandwich can be found in many Chinese American restaurants in St. Louis, Missouri, as well as in other cities in Missouri, including Columbia, Jefferson City, and Springfield. The sandwich consists of an egg foo young patty (made with mung bean sprouts and minced white onions) served with dill pickle slices, white onion, mayonnaise, and lettuce between two slices of white bread. The St. Paul sandwich also comes in different combinations and specials, such as chicken, pork, shri One s... ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-underwhelmed/1010764/123 "2024-11-27T01:44:35Z")
Agreed, but I’ve only been to about 20. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-underwhelmed/1010764/124 "2024-11-27T01:44:55Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Fenway Park is a dump. I did a tour of the old Tiger stadium the year before the new stadium opened. I think at the time it was a year older than Fenway. I found the tour fascinating. It wasn’t pretty or impressive, but it was so interesting how they’d had to retrofit all the new technology into such an old shell. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-underwhelmed/1010764/125 "2024-11-27T01:48:11Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > ETA: @Ellecram two posts up … > > You want local underwhelming cuisine, try this on for size. By far the best part is the dry detachment the wiki authors manage to maintain as they describe the horror within. > > [St. Paul sandwich - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Paul_sandwich) That is an abomination. I would pass. Head to the Dollar Star for Pop Tarts and M&Ms. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-underwhelmed/1010764/126 "2024-11-27T01:54:12Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > [St. Paul sandwich - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Paul_sandwich) Reading this reminded me of the St. Louis Sushi I saw in the HBO show _Somebody Somewhere._ Then I realized that St. Louis Sushr was a real thing. > **[The Midwest’s ‘Minnesota Sushi’ Is Having a Pop Culture Moment](https://www.eater.com/23725769/minnesota-sushi-midwest-jeopardy-somebody-somewhere-pop-culture-moment)** > > A dubious-looking ham, cream cheese, and pickle canape has recently shown up on "Jeopardy!" and HBO’s "Somebody Somewhere." ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-underwhelmed/1010764/127 "2024-11-27T01:59:24Z")
> [@Ellecram](#): > > Head to the Dollar Star for Pop Tarts and M&Ms. As long as they’re cheaper knock-offs rather than the brand name genuine product. 🤪 ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-underwhelmed/1010764/128 "2024-11-27T02:11:18Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > The one Philly cheesesteak I had was men but I’m willing to blame the establishment. Yeah, it sounds like their cookbook was _To Serve Man_. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-underwhelmed/1010764/129 "2024-11-27T02:14:10Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > > [@Ellecram](#): > > > > Was underwhelmed with a _horseshoe sandwich_ in Springfield, Illinois. Didn’t expect to be excited about it but it was not enjoyable. Maybe it was just the place we were at the time. > > I just looked this up, and it’s — a hamburger and fries? But they, uh, put _cheese_ on the _burger?_ Cheese _sauce_. Which can vary depending on where you get it. And the meat doesn’t have to be hamburger, though that’s probably the most common. > **[Signature Horseshoe | Springfield, Illinois | Visit Springfield](https://visitspringfieldillinois.com/Landing/signaturehorseshoe.aspx)** ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-underwhelmed/1010764/130 "2024-11-27T02:15:33Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Cheese _sauce_. Which can vary depending on where you get it. And the meat doesn’t have to be hamburger, though that’s probably the most common. And, it’s not just a cheeseburger and fries; it’s an open-faced meat sandwich, topped with fries and the cheese sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-underwhelmed/1010764/131 "2024-11-27T02:21:20Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > > > Cheese _sauce_. Which can vary depending on where you get it. And the meat doesn’t have to be hamburger, though that’s probably the most common. > > And, it’s not just a cheeseburger and fries; it’s an open-faced meat sandwich, topped with fries and the cheese sauce. Mine was not a hamburger. I can’t recall what kind of meat it was. But the cheese sauce was pure goo and it was difficult to eat. And not tasty at all. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-underwhelmed/1010764/132 "2024-11-27T02:36:39Z")
I used to live about 100 miles from Springfield, and went there occasionally. Yes, I had a horseshoe, and its miniature, a ponyshoe, and to me, it was yet another variation of a Magic Mountain or a haystack dinner. Texas toast, potatoes in some form, ground beef, onions, and cheese sauce, with other toppings like hot peppers or salsa if you want it. Mine were always good, but maybe I happened to go to the right places. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-underwhelmed/1010764/133 "2024-11-27T02:39:03Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > My memory of Lisbon is that there was something astonishing and wonderful around every corner, > [@Treppenwitz](#): > > And…Knossos. The problem here is that there isn’t that much of it left (compared to, say Efes/Ephesus), what there is isn’t that interesting You and I are complete opposites. Knossos was phenomenal. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-underwhelmed/1010764/134 "2024-11-27T02:41:43Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > , and to me, it was yet another variation of a Magic Mountain or a haystack dinner Yet more small town Midwestern mystery meals unknown to the rest of us. Please share what these are and where their terms are used. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-underwhelmed/1010764/135 "2024-11-27T02:44:26Z")
The Magic Mountain was a staple of a recently-closed longtime Quad Cities restaurant called Ross’s, whose closure was a combination of relocation due to Interstate bridge expansion, COVID, and new owners. A haystack dinner is referenced many times in this column, written by an Old Order Amish woman. The column, then called “The Amish Cook”, was syndicated in my local newspaper in my old town, and is now posted online, although not by her. > **[Lovina's Amish Kitchen](https://lovinasamishkitchen.com/)** ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-underwhelmed/1010764/136 "2024-11-27T02:49:21Z")
[Meteor Crater, Arizona.](https://meteorcrater.com/) It’s in the middle of freaking nowhere. It’s a big hole in the ground. I get a meteor made it and that was probably spectacular when it happened. Now, it’s a hole in the ground. A big hole but still. It’s neat for maybe 2-3 minutes and then…meh. Reading the stupid plaques in the visitor center didn’t help. Basically someone copy/pasted a few Wiki paragraphs with some graphics left over from the 70s (probably the other way around and Wiki got the info from those plaques). If, for some reason you happen to be driving on that one road by it then sure…stop. It’s a deadly dull drive so this adds a little something. But even then you leave a bit underwhelmed. Tick a sightseeing thing off your list. Also, four corners (where four states meet). Yawn. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-underwhelmed/1010764/137 "2024-11-27T03:14:13Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I used to live about 100 miles from Springfield, and went there occasionally. Yes, I had a horseshoe, and its miniature, a ponyshoe, and to me, it was yet another variation of a Magic Mountain or a haystack dinner. Texas toast, potatoes in some form, ground beef, onions, and cheese sauce, with other toppings like hot peppers or salsa if you want it. Mine were always good, but maybe I happened to go to the right places. I think we just picked the wrong place. Yours sounds delightful. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-underwhelmed/1010764/138 "2024-11-27T03:21:10Z")
I went to both places in 1994, probably on adjacent days. I was traveling in the Four Corners direction, so why not (and of course there’s a picture of me squatting on the plaque, with one limb in each state). At the time, the Meteor Crater had a space museum that was probably about 10 years behind, but I still didn’t consider it a wasted side trip en route to the Grand Canyon, which did NOT disappoint. I didn’t stop in Winslow, Arizona; I do remember that. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-underwhelmed/1010764/139 "2024-11-27T03:26:50Z")
Saying this as a Texan: the Alamo is the most underwhelming historic site I’ve ever visited. All that’s left of the original mission is the chapel and a barracks, smack in the middle of urban development. After waiting in line and baking in the San Antonio sun for an hour, the entire “tour” takes about eight minutes. Do not recommend. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-underwhelmed/1010764/140 "2024-11-27T03:30:37Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > Saying this as a Texan: the Alamo is the most underwhelming historic site I’ve ever visited. All that’s left of the original mission is the chapel and a barracks, smack in the middle of urban development. After waiting in line and baking in the San Antonio sun for an hour, the entire “tour” takes about eight minutes. Do not recommend. Agree. Went there about 8 years ago and it was not what I expected. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-underwhelmed/1010764.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-underwhelmed/1010764.md?page=8)